Review | Chemical Free Laundry With Ecoegg

As someone who has a lot of laundry to do I am forever stocking up on washing powder and fabric softeners. I spend a good fortune on the stuff despite waiting until things are discounted and shopping around for the best prices. So when Ecoegg got in touch and asked me if I’d like to review some of their laundry range I was pretty intrigued to see how it all worked, what I could save and if it was actually any good.

I’ve heard of Ecoegg before but it’s not something that ever really caught my attention. I have grown up knowing all about washing powder and fabric softener but not really ever considering any alternatives given that they ‘do the job’. Of course there are times where I have changed brands and used a bit of stain remover here and there on top of that but it’s just one of those instances where it’s a case of getting it done. You don’t think about the costs, any environmental consequences or how long things take especially when you’ve got kids – time is of the essence.

Ecoegg Washing Machine Detox Tablets

As I was going to be getting on with quite a lot of washing and since my washing machine hasn’t had one since we got it last year, I decided I’d give it a little detox with the detox tablets that Ecoegg sent over. I’m always a little sceptical of these kinds of things because I wonder if they actually work but I was down for giving them a go.

I popped one in the washing machine, as per the instructions, popped it on the hottest and longest wash we have and waited. I absolutely did not expect to see the inside drum as shiny as it was. I don’t think you realise how much it dulls because it happens over time. But the best bit was physically being able to scrape more limescale and build up out from around the rubber seal. Some of it had all collected there and I had a good, probably, five tablespoons of just dirt, grime and build up which I was glad to get out of the washing machine.

I think that if I can get this out from around the rubber seal then the detox tablet must’ve done it’s job elsewhere so I was really happy. I do clean out around the rubber regularly especially as a lot of my hair gets caught up there too so it’s not like that bit had been totally neglected either. And then we moved on to the washing…

Ecoegg Laundry Egg – 720 Washes

At £19.99 it’s not exactly far off what you’d pay for a big box of washing powder so I was pretty impressed with the price. Really affordable and with approximately 720 washes out of one box, that’s a whole lot more than any box of washing powder will give you. On average it’s about 3 years worth of washing with each wash costing roughly 3p!

There is very little set up involved; undo the egg, add the one and only pack of black tourmaline ‘pellets’ to it as well as three packets of the white ‘mineral’ pellets and do it back up. It’s that simple and it’s ready to use straight away. After approximately 72 washes you’ll need to top up with some more white pellets but there are more than enough included to see you through. These two types of mineral pellets work inside to the egg to produce natural but powerful cleaning foam which gets into the all the fibres to lift off all the dirt.

I had quite a lot of washing to do when this first turned up and there’s no time like the present, right? I put a load of washing in as normal, popped the Ecoegg on top and set the washing machine to all the usual settings. It’s worth noting that the Ecoegg can not be used in temperatures above 60 degrees so if you need to hot wash or boil anything, this should not be used. I usually wash at around 30 or 40 depending on the severity of the dirt so this is absolutely perfect. I went straight in with no washing powder, although I have to admit – just because I’m a bit of linen sniffer – I did add half a cap of the Ecoegg fabric softener (see below).

I let the washing machine do it’s thing and once it had finished I was pleasantly surprised. Jamie noticed straight away that there was something different with his t-shirts. Normally when I use washing powder it makes the armpits smell a bit funny but there was no weird armpit smell after using the Ecoegg – that’s one huge plus for us!

All the clothes came out super clean, smelling really fresh and I didn’t feel like I needed to put them back in with some washing powder which I was a little afraid of but I guess that’s why it’s an award winning product. It’s an entire replacement of your washing powder/detergent. The Ecoegg has been independently and laboratory proven to perform just as well as any washing powder/detergent but without all the chemicals. Not only does this mean it’s brilliant for those with sensitive skin, allergies and so on but it also means that is’s super eco-friendly.

The Ecoegg comes in three scents; you can have 100% fragrance free, soft cotton or spring blossom. They also come in different quantities if you didn’t want to commit to 720 washes straight away. You can choose from 54, 210 or 720 washes and the prices start from £7.99. Why would you not want to try this?

The only downfall, and I genuinely mean the ONLY downfall, and that’s with me being super, super picky is that it can be a little bit noisy. And only a little bit. If it gets caught in the wrong place in the washing drum it did bang on my washing machine ‘window’ for a while but once it changed direction or got caught up again it was fine.

Ecoegg Dryer Eggs

I do quite a lot of tumble drying in the colder months. I’d much prefer to have it out on the washing line but English weather is stupidly unpredictable and it tends to rain before I put it out, or rain just after I’ve hung it out, so I use a clothes horse for the bits that can’t be tumbled. However, my tumble dryer can be a little fickle. It’s all very clever in that it ‘weighs’ how much the load is and works out how long it’ll need to tumble for. I usually have to flick it on two or three times before anything is totally dry.

Ecoegg also sent me some of their dryer eggs which are a breakthrough product that have reduced tumble drying time by up to 28%. Tumble dryers are the most expensive appliance to run in a home so any time that can be cut out is a little money saver! These eggs come in pairs and come with fragrance sticks that you can place in the centre if you wanted to scent your laundry load. These come in soft cotton or spring blossom – the same as the Ecoegg Laundry Egg.

I opted to put these in, although you could leave them out and while the smell was initially quite sickly once the washing had cooled and I was putting the washing away it smelled really nice. Much better than the usual smell it has to be honest! The Ecoegg dryer eggs work by lifting and separating the clothes in the dryer so there’s a bit more surface area which in turn means they should dry quicker.

If you don’t add fabric softener to your actual washing then the dryer eggs will naturally soften your clothes as they’re being tumbled. The patented nodules on the dryer eggs are designed to do this and so you don’t even need to add any if you don’t want to. I will admit I’m not sure by how much time these reduced the tumbling but they certainly made a difference. I didn’t notice as many creases as I’d normally have and the tumbled load smelled nice. And for only £9.99 I’d say they were a sound investment!

Ecoegg Concentrated Fabric Conditioner

If, like me, you really love the whole fabric softener thing then this is a product for you! It’s £10.99 for around 240 uses and it smells so good. I don’t know what it is about fabric conditioner but I just can’t seem to give it up. It’s the smell that comes out of my washing, the smell that lives in the drawers when I’m not wearing the clothes and it’s just something I’ve been doing for a very long time and I kind of feel comfortable using it.

I tend to go for supermarket brands at the moment but I am on the very cusp of becoming an Ecoegg convert. There’s roughly a whole year’s worth of fabric softener in this one bottle, it’s hypoallergenic, has no harsh chemicals and smells just as good as the super expensive stuff – Ecoegg work out at around 4p per use.

You don’t need to do it by the capful as it comes with a super handy pump and just 2-3 pumps in your fabric softener drawer will do the trick; no measuring, pouring, fuss or spills! It’s super concentrated so it means there’ll be less going in the washing machine and less to clog it up too. I’ve got it in soft cotton and it smells just the same as the big brands but I feel like I’m doing my part for the environment too.

Overall I am actually pretty in love with this range as there’s not much to dislike! Eco-friendly, the washing is just as good as if I was using chemicals and it’s great on all of our skin. We’ve noticed a difference, will you?

*I was sent these products in return for a review. All views and opinions are my own.